First consider the expression for: Take the product of $7$ and $x$ and add $-9$. Now select the answer that matches the following: The sum of $-1$ and the product of $8$ and that expression.
Let's break this problem into smaller and easier pieces. What is the product of $7$ and $x$ $7 \times x = \color{orange}{7x}$ What does adding $-9$ to $7x$ do? $7x$ $ - 9$ What is the quantity of $8$ times that expression $8 \times (7x - 9) = \color{orange}{8(7x-9)}$ What is the sum of $-1$ and $\color{orange}{8(7x-9)}$ $8(7x-9)$ $ - 1$ So the entire expression we're considering can be written as $8(7x-9)-1$.